On the use of entropy for optimal radar resource management and control

The use of information entropy as a quantitative measure of uncertainty for radar resource management and control objectives is explored and applied to issues of current interest. It is seen to be rigorous and objective, and therefore potentially superior to heuristic, rule-based approaches for problems which can be formulated in probabilistic terms. It is particularly appropriate for sensor systems in general which have as their objective the acquisition of information, but which are dominated by uncertainty and subject to time and resource constraints. Examples of the application of this control and management methodology are given to radar problems on widely differing time-scales: the scheduling of track updates in a beam-agile radar (ms), and the tasking of a constellation of SAR surveillance satellites for maritime search and tracking (hours).